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Fire crews in Dawlish controlled landslip operation | Fire crews in Dawlish controlled landslip operation |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Fire crews are pumping sea water on to the cliff at Dawlish to bring down 350,000 tonnes of potentially unstable rock and soil in a controlled landslip. | Fire crews are pumping sea water on to the cliff at Dawlish to bring down 350,000 tonnes of potentially unstable rock and soil in a controlled landslip. |
Network Rail called in firefighters to prevent a "catastrophic" collapse that could have posed a risk to workers repairing the main Devon railway line. | Network Rail called in firefighters to prevent a "catastrophic" collapse that could have posed a risk to workers repairing the main Devon railway line. |
Storms in February washed away the sea wall and left the rail track suspended in mid air. | Storms in February washed away the sea wall and left the rail track suspended in mid air. |
A geologist is working with the fire crews and Network Rail's contractors. | A geologist is working with the fire crews and Network Rail's contractors. |
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue (DSFRS) said crews were brought in after a large area - about 30m (100ft) - of soil and rock directly above the main line at Teignmouth Road appeared to have "slumped". | |
"Network Rail are now unable to work beneath this area due to the potential for catastrophic collapse posing a risk to workers and causing further damage to the railway infrastructure," DSFRS said. | "Network Rail are now unable to work beneath this area due to the potential for catastrophic collapse posing a risk to workers and causing further damage to the railway infrastructure," DSFRS said. |
Crews worked through the night to pump water into the fracture line about 50m (165ft) up the cliff face. | Crews worked through the night to pump water into the fracture line about 50m (165ft) up the cliff face. |
The high volume pump had to be loaded on to Network Rail rolling stock at Dawlish Railway Station and taken along the line to the scene. | The high volume pump had to be loaded on to Network Rail rolling stock at Dawlish Railway Station and taken along the line to the scene. |
Group manager Andy Rowse said: "They've been experiencing landslides for many years along this area of the railway line, so I suppose with the recent weather it wasn't unexpected." | Group manager Andy Rowse said: "They've been experiencing landslides for many years along this area of the railway line, so I suppose with the recent weather it wasn't unexpected." |
He said the controlled landslide was away from the main section of repair work, which was continuing. | He said the controlled landslide was away from the main section of repair work, which was continuing. |
Exclusion zone | |
Network Rail said it was "unlikely" to impact on the reopening of the railway, which is due on 4 April. | |
It said land next to the railway was found to have "slipped" after stormy weather of 14 February. | |
"To safely clear the failing land mass, high pressure water - a similar technique used in clay mining - has been deployed to saturate the land and create a controlled erosion," a statement said. | |
"This will enable the cliff material to be taken down in a planned and controlled manner to minimise damage to the infrastructure." | |
Network Rail added that while the "saturation process" was being carried out, an exclusion zone had been set up and work underneath the landslip had been halted "as a precaution". |
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